This was entirely on the owners’ timetable–had to get those lucrative Christmas games–and essentially their deal, with a few minor give-backs.

The semi-secret price the players will pay, to move their take of BRI from 57% to 51%–their annual escrow withholdings (up to 10% of every paycheck) will almost certainly be ear-marked straight back to the owners.

Over the years, the players have paid into the escrow account and often gotten much of their money back. This time, they won’t.

Their salaries will be published as the same amount, but they’ll all take an 7 to 10% hit on each paycheck, realistically.

* I guess the minor surprise is that the 10 to 15 hard-liners didn’t insist on pushing the players all the way into January on this and go for the kill, in other words, the “re-set” offer David Stern threatened when the players officially rejected the “last” offer two weeks ago.
The re-set never happened, possibly thanks to the anti-trust situation and also because the re-set threat was just theatrics on Stern’s part.

For the owners, even the hard-liners, the reward was too tangible: Those Christmas games are very important to ABC/ESPN and the NBA didn’t want to start messing with that.

They can complain and swoon about the financial difficulties… but when cold hard TV cash was staring in the face, the owners knew the real deal.

They make money from games. They say they don’t, but they do.

* The reported outline of the deal is very similar to the last offer by the owners–the players will receive a “band” of 49 to 51% of BRI, depending on the economic circumstances, over the life of the 10-year deal.

There are some limitations on the ability of highest-spending teams to sign free agents.

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Players’ contracts will get shorter and slightly less expensive, but they will, in most cases, be governed by the basic constructs (‘Bird rights,” mid-level exceptions, sign-and-trades) that we’re all familiar with.

* The system seems to be designed to favor franchises that can draft well and spot and sign effective free agents at reasonable prices, and it provides further devices to let those teams keep superstars they’ve drafted.

The model: The San Antonio Spurs, which makes sense, since San Antonio owner Peter Holt was the owners’ chief representative in the talks.

* The top-tier teams–Lakers, Knicks, Heat–have added limitations, but they’re not shut out of all free-agent signings.

The smaller-market teams–such as Utah, Sacramento, Milwaukee and Cleveland–have more rights, but they’re still Utah, Sacramento, Milwaukee and Cleveland.

If the owners were going to create a deal that made Utah the same as LA in the minds of players and sponsors… I’m sorry, I don’t know how that actually could ever be done.

* Upon first review of the reported details–and many of the layers are still unknown–I’d say the Warriors’ situation is relatively unchanged from the previous CBA.

They’re a team that is willing to be active under Lacob, will go up to the salary-cap line (reportedly right around the same as last year, $58-59M), and probably won’t get into the luxury tax.

Though Lacob hasn’t indicated he’d ALWAYS avoid the luxury tax, you’d have to figure that the new limitations and penalties will make sure the Warriors remain out of the tax-paying club.

And as I read the details, it seems like active middle-rung teams are sort of hampered by the new deal.

The active middle teams are usually already paying close to the tax line (and the Warriors will be doing so deep into the future with their large long-term deals), and are now given such disincentive to become lux-tax teams that the wiggle room is almost gone.

As it stands, the Warriors have about $49M committed to 9 players for this season, and will have the rookie salary scale determine another $4M or so to Klay Thompson, Jeremy Tyler and (non-guaranteed) Charles Jenkins.

That’s $53M for 12 players.

Reggie Williams is a restricted free agent, so he could come back, he might not–low-priority, especially with Thompson in tow.

With the new amnesty provisions, the Warriors are looking at a choice between dropping:

-David Lee (owed $68M over the next five seasons, but one of Lacob’s favorites, so he’s untouchable);

-Andris Biedrins (owed $27M over the next three, easiest way to free a big chunk of change, but also could be worth close to his money if he ever snaps back to life);

-Charlie Bell (owed $4.1M this season, which is not a big money move but could be just the right slot for Lacob).

Remember, with amnesty, you get to slice the player off of the salary cap, but you still have to pay every dollar.

According to reports, the amnesty provision doesn’t have to be used this year; the Warriors can wait a year, let Bell’s deal expire, then maybe slice off Biedrins next year, when it’s only an $18M swallow.

But I think Lacob is an antsy guy. I know he is. So is Jerry West. They’ve been sitting and waiting through this long labor process and they’re just dying to make a move.

The guy they want is Nene. If they can get just enough room to throw a big deal at him, that’s what the Warriors will want to do.

Slicing off Bell’s $4.1M could give them that room to at least make the offer to Nene (or another big man). I don’t know if he’ll take it, but I know the Warriors will want to put it in front of him.

And see what he does in the new world of the NBA, which doesn’t seem a lot different than the old one.

Will this new CBA prevent stupid owners from signing stupid overpriced contracts?

http://jimmyrod.com pro from dover

I just can’t wait to see Curry and Ellis on the floor again. They are spectacular to watch. I’m thinking, if I was a “big man, I’d love playing with the best pair of guards I’ve seen in many years. Go Warriors!

http://jimmyrod.com pro from dover

I just can’t wait to see Curry and Ellis on the floor again. They are spectacular to watch. I’m thinking, if I was a “big man, I’d love playing with the best pair of guards I’ve seen in many years. Go Warriors!

Niners in 2012

The Warriors are a better team without Biedrins. AB is a total negative, he hurts us when he’s on the court. -297 overall last year, which is amazingly awful for a guy who played 23 mpg, 59 games. I’d pay him to not be here, it’s addition by subtraction. You need to replace him with Joel Przybilla who’s huge, blocks shots, and doesn’t get shoved around.

Jeremy

Would love to see them amnesty Beidrins, cut/trade Bell, sign Nene and Battier, and let their FAs walk. Beidrins is a waste of a roster spot whether they sign Nene or not and Battier is the kind of glue guy and defensive specialist on the wing that they need. Nice depth too if they can pull them all off, although can still use a better backup PG and a better backup center…

agree w/Jeremy get rid of Biedrins pay him to go back to Latvia or Estonia or wherever and retire.
Use that $$ to sign Nene because they’ll be way under the cap and can offer close to a Max deal–only to then see him get hurt and not produce and we can bitch and moan for many more years about this stupid no defense playing team. that’ll be fun.

David

Biedrins has no upside. If we can dump him and get Nene – that’s a no brainer. Anyone entertaining the idea, he would burn us on another team in our division, is over-thing it.

Cut Biedrins even if we can’t Nene!

David

*over thinking it*

Common Sense

what’s the NBA?

Mano de Nada

Tall centers in their mid 20s always have value in the market (see Nene), but it doesn’t mean they make your team better…

That Man

Biedrins has NO value. He sucks. For the last two years he has proven that. Udoh should get any playing time that bieds is getting.
Can’t wait for the free agency frenzy. The nfl was awesome this year, nba will be better.

jason

No NBA for me this year. However, I would be tempted to watch LeBron go for another NOT getting a title game. That would be the cherry and whipped cream to top off this season.

bimmercire

OK i agree that we need to cut beans now. free up cap space, let bell walk, thus we would be able to sign nene, wait next offseason, and still have cap space for next offseason.